Tuesday, April 04, 2006
GAME 1: ANGELS 5, MARINERS 4
In 25 words or less: It took a while for the crowd to have something to cheer about, but Seattle is still searching for its first lead of 2006.
Opening Day this season had Bartolo Colon going up against Jamie Moyer. Just before the game, it also featured members of the Seattle Seahawks, who were being honored on the field for that whole thing where they went to the Super Bowl and stuff. Matt Hasselbeck threw out the first pitch, and it was a pretty good one. He went to Boston College, and his first pitch was way better than one by a certain Massachusetts dude named John Kerry. MLB.tv thankfully picked up the FSNNW telecast of the game, which was good since I didn't want my first memories of the 2006 season to be filled with the exclamations of Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler. I can watch them on FSN West/West 2 here anyway. What I didn't expect (I didn't know about it beforehand) was the pairing of Dave Niehaus and Dave Henderson to start the game. Huh? Henderson stayed on the TV side the entire game, and Ron Fairly stayed on the radio, which I discovered after I went through the audio feeds of the game. Reminded me of how when FSNNW had Bill Krueger doing color on the games, they'd have him stay on the TV side. By the way, I do the innings of these things before I do the spiels at the beginnings and ends.
Oh yeah, that whole thing with the game and stuff...
By the way, I may tinker with the format to make it overtime-proof since my job in later months may be giving me oodles upon oodles of overtime, through which I'd be hard-pressed to keep doing what I usually do with these things. I am pulling out the grades though, since I think I got a bit too calculated with them. The C-minus was always a 1-2-3 inning with the Mariner offense, and stuff like that; it didn't feel spontaneous enough for me, I guess. That aside, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which inning(s) would have been the F in this one.
TOP 1ST
Jamie Moyer got ahead of Chone Figgins and got him to hit a 2-2 low liner that shorthopped Richie Sexson at first, who bobbled it a bit but was able to shovel off to Moyer barely in time. Moyer's foot was toward the center of the first-base bag, risking injury from Figgins' foot. Moyer got ahead of Orlando Cabrera as well, who nubbed a 2-2 pitch which Moyer reached out and had it go off his glove and past, but Jose Lopez had no play coming in from second as Cabrera reached on the single. Garret Anderson took three pitches for three strikes (third over the outside corner) with pickoff throws to first sandwiched in between. Vladimir Guerrero, who Dave Niehaus nicely pointed out had nine of his 32 homers last year against the Mariners, busted out the chipper to crank a shin-high change into the Mariner bullpen.
»» ANGELS 2, MARINERS 0
Juan Rivera popped the second pitch high to rightfield. Moyer threw 16 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Ichiro hung around with two strikes for a while before whiffing at a two-seamer high and away. Jose Lopez looked, fouled one off, then waved at a fastball off the plate outside. Raul Ibañez got a couple of decent hacks in (whiff and foul), but whiffed at a 1-2 fastball over the outside corner. Yes, Bartolo Colon had struck out the side on 16 pitches. I also never thought I'd see Pat Cashman in ads for Grover Electric & Plumbing. At least it got my mind off of Dave Henderson repeatedly saying we'd know Jose Lopez, Yuniesky Betancourt, Jeremy Reed, et al, have really arrived when we stop referring to them as "young."
TOP 2ND
Darin Erstad, now back playing centerfield, popped high to Betancourt along the leftfield line. Casey Kotchman bounced hard to Sexson at first, who took it to the bag. Jose Molina split his bat in half and lofted a low liner jost over Lopez' reach and into shallow centerfield for a single. Adam Kennedy smoked the second pitch into the glove of Adrian Beltre, who made the quick reaction with the backhand. Moyer threw 10 pitches. Know what's terrible? I've been away from the Northwest so long that now I'm even willingly watching the commercials when the FSNNW telecasts get onto MLB.tv. And my goodness, I know from having FSN West and West 2 here in Hawaii that Jim Watson is back in Southern California, but Matt Morrison in the FSNNW studio?
BOTTOM 2ND
Richie Sexson bounced an 0-2 breaking ball to short. Adrian Beltre, who lost 12 pounds and doesn't just "feel" 12 pounds lighter (rimshot!), took a 3-1 fastball down the chute and later topped over a high full-count fastball and bounced it to third. Carl Everett (why?) whiffed at the first pitch and flung the bat seven rows into the seats behind the Mariner dugout. He worked his 0-2 count before popping to fairly deep centerfield on the seventh pitch. Colon threw 17 pitches.
TOP 3RD
Figgins attempted a bunt but later flew out harmlessly to Ichiro. Cabrera stuck the second pitch into leftcenter for a single. Anderson chopped the second pitch into the hole on the right side, and Lopez quickly turned to throw to Betancourt covering second, just barely in time. The Mariners probably got the call there -- the out was given and Betancourt definitely made the neighborhood play. Guerrero pulled an outside pitch, rolling it to Betancourt's glove side, where he backhand flipped to Lopez covering second. Moyer threw 12 pitches. Know what's great about Hawaii? I seem to see less Money Tree commercials.
BOTTOM 3RD
Kenji Johjima grounded his first pitch hard to short. Jeremy Reed, unfractured wrist and all, whiffed at a 2-2 fastball coming over the outside corner at 93. Yuniesky Betancourt lined out to Kennedy at second, who reached down to make the catch. Colon threw 10 pitches.
TOP 4TH
Dave Niehaus wondered if Clyde the AFLAC duck had lost weight, then had an adverse reaction to Clyde shaking his tail. Rivera scooted the second pitch to Betancourt. Erstad lined a one-hopper over the rightfield fence for a ground-rule double. Kotchman lined the first pitch into centerfield for a single and Erstad was waved to the plate. Reed threw high toward the plate and Johjima came up to cut it off and nail Kotchman trying to take second. Erstad scored, of course.
»» ANGELS 3, MARINERS 0
Molina lined the first pitch down the rightfield line for a double. Kennedy rolled softly to second. Moyer threw nine pitches. Whoa, ads with Nate McMillan running practices for the Blazers? I don't know if I can deal with this.
BOTTOM 4TH
Niehaus resigned himself to the prospect of seeing Clyde do his little dance every night for the next six months. Ichiro bounced a high and outside 0-2 pitch to Figgins at third, who made the play just in time. Lopez tagged the first pitch hard to the left side, and it ate up Figgins for the Mariners' first hit of the 2006 season, then was nearly picked off with Ibañez waiting for his first pitch. Ibañez nubbed the first pitch to Colon's right, but it would have been a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play if he would have let it go past. Lopez and Ibañez were at second and first for Sexson, who got behind and later popped out far enough out to centerfield to move Lopez to third. Beltre rolled the first pitch right to short for a 6-4 fielder's choice immediately after Henderson talked about the possibility of a timely two-out hit. Colon threw 13 pitches.
TOP 5TH
Figgins popped the first pitch to Ibañez a few strides from the warning track in leftfield. Cabrera popped out high to Betancourt on the infield grass. Anderson fell behind and ended up whiffing on a 2-2 change low and away. Moyer threw 10 pitches, but got a nice 1-2-3 inning.
BOTTOM 5TH
Rick Rizzs and Henderson? Did they maroon Ron Fairly onto the radio side? Everett popped the first pitch to Figgins in foul ground near the bag at third. Johjima slapped a 2-2 high and outside fastball the other way just over the fence in rightfield for his first Major League homer. Power hitting for a Mariner catcher? Perish the thought!! Fireworks for the homer? Are the fireworks back permanently, Kingdome-style? Personally, I'd like that, though it left quite the haze with the roof on the place.
»» ANGELS 3, MARINERS 1
Reed poked a ball into the leftcenter gap and over the wall for a double. Betancourt worked his 0-2 count brilliantly, with Reed moving to third on a 1-2 dirtball outside. Molina's throw to third was high and late. Betancourt laced a full-count single up the middle to drive in Reed.
»» ANGELS 3, MARINERS 2
Ichiro sliced the first pitch into rightfield for a single, and Betancourt challenged the arm of Guerrero in rightfield and won, taking third on the play. Lopez fell behind 0-2 and watched as Molina caught Betancourt napping off of third, but luckily for the Mariners, third-base umpire Paul Nauert didn't see it that way. Lopez threw wood on the ball and blooped a single just over the right side for a single, scoring Betancourt.
»» ANGELS 3, MARINERS 3
Ichiro moved to third and Figgins caught an ill-advised Guerrero throw in foul territory near third before throwing to nail Lopez at second trying to stretch it. The second Colon pitch to Ibañez was about a foot high. Ibañez took four balls after the first strike. Sexson didn't get enough of the second pitch, flying out to centerfield. Colon threw 30 pitches.
TOP 6TH
Guerrero took a 3-1 pitch a bit high and inside, then blistered a single along the leftfield line nonetheless. Rivera bounced the second pitch to start a 6-4-3 double play. Erstad bounced a 1-2 pitch to Sexson, who tossed over for the 3-1 putout. Moyer threw 12 pitches.
BOTTOM 6TH
Beltre was jammed on the second pitch, fisting it toward second, but it handcuffed Kennedy, allowing Beltre to stay aboard. Everett poked a single into leftfield (opposite field) and moved Beltre to second. Johjima couldn't get the bunt down on the first pitch, but worked the count, getting beaned on the left arm seven pitches later to load the bases with nobody out. Thus, Colon's day was done, and it looked in the 5th like he was running out of gas anyway.
JC Romero, serving to make the Angels' bullpen way too good, fell behind 3-1 on Reed before getting him to whiff at the next two pitches, the last being over the inside corner. Also in there was a 1-1 wild pitch that was corralled enough by Molina so Beltre didn't score. Betancourt popped the second pitch too shallow to leftfield (Rivera had taken over) to score Beltre from third. Ichiro rolled out to third, leading Figgins directly to the bag at third to force out Everett. Bases loaded, nobody out...SO WHAT?!?! Some things never change. Also, I guess the Canucks haven't cornered the market on untimely crappy play. Romero threw 12 pitches.
Colon's line: 5 innings, 3 runs, 8 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, 95 pitches (67 strikes)
TOP 7TH
Kotchman drove a 1-2 pitch to the track in rightfield, where Ichiro caught it. Molina grounded the first pitch hard to second. Figgins got ahead 3-0 and walked on the fifth pitch. Rafael Chaves came out to chat with Moyer and Johjima at the mound. Figgins poked the second pitch into leftfield for a single, moving Kennedy to second and chasing Moyer, who left to a nice smattering of applause.
Rafael Soriano came in for Moyer. His first pitch to Cabrera went to the backstop and moved Kennedy to third and Figgins to second. Cabrera put the next pitch down the line and barely foul in the leftfield corner with Ibañez giving chase. Cabrera ended up swinging at a pretty high pitch and flying out to semi-deep leftfield. Soriano threw five pitches.
Moyer's line: 6 2/3 innings, 3 runs, 9 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, 80 pitches (52 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Lopez grounded hard to third. Ibañez bounced to first on a full count.
Scot Shields, whose delivery makes me uncomfortable, came in for Romero. Sexson took a 1-2 fastball over the outside corner. Shields threw four pitches.
Romero's line: 1 2/3 innings, 0 runs 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 21 pitches (12 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Anderson lofted a 2-2 flyout to leftcenter, caught by Ibañez. Guerrero took two mighty hacks to immediately fall behind and later hit a low line drive right to Lopez. Rivera fell back 0-2 but fisted an inside 2-2 pitch into shallow leftfield for a single.
George Sherrill came in for Soriano and immediately got ahead 0-2 on Erstad. Sherrill needed three more tosses to get Erstad looking at a 2-2 up in the zone over the outside corner. Sherrill threw five pitches.
Soriano's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 21 pitches (14 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Beltre lined the 2-2 pitch to Guerrero in somewhat deep rightfield. Everett popped the second pitch to Figgins in front of the camera well on the third-base side. Johjima put another charge into a ball, sending his second pitch just short of the rightfield track, where Guerrero came down with it. Shields threw 10 pitches.
Shields' line: 1 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 14 pitches (10 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Kotchman worked a 1-2 count for a nine-pitch walk, taking the final pitch just barely off the plate. Maicer Izturis came in to run for Kotchman. Molina bunted the first pitch, and Sherrill fielded it and threw in time to first, moving Izturis to second.
JJ Putz came in for Sherrill. Tim Salmon (remember him?) came in to hit for Kennedy, which prompted the Putz move. Salmon fouled the first pitch off his foot, so that was a rude awakening. Salmon bounced to short, and Betancourt took the safe play and went to first as Izturis moved to third. Figgins fell behind 0-2 but worked a walk on the seventh pitch of the at-bat. Figgins stole second on the 0-2 pitch to Cabrera, who nudged the 1-2 pitch up the middle to plate Izturis and Figgins. Yup.
»» ANGELS 5, MARINERS 3
Anderson fell behind 0-2 and later watched Cabrera nab second without a throw. Anderson later whiffed on a 2-2 pitch outside.
Sherrill's line: 2/3 inning, 1 run, 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 15 pitches (9 strikes)
Putz' line: 2/3 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 23 pitches (14 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Francisco Rodriguez came in to slam the door, and he was accompanied by a couple of defensive replacements. Reed whiffed at an 0-2 crazy slider inside off the plate. Roberto Petagine came in to hit for Betancourt. Petagine fell behind 0-2, but wound up punching a solo shot about seven rows back down the rightfield line.
»» ANGELS 5, MARINERS 4
Ichiro foul-tipped a 2-2 slider into Molina's glove. Lopez rolled a 1-2 pitch to short, where Cabrera had a bit of a time playing it, but gathered himself just in time to throw on the run and get Lopez at first.
Rodriguez' line: 1 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 18 pitches (13 strikes)
---
Gameball: Jamie Moyer
It's either Moyer or Jose Lopez in this spot, though I feel like I'm going a little too obvious with the gameball, but sue me. The grizzled veteran lefty needed only 80 pitches to get himself deep into the seventh inning on opening day. Best of all, he only walked one. Nine hits may be a tad higher than we'd usually like, but he only gave up the three runs anyway, and two were on the Vlad blast, so that's that. If this is Jamie leading by example, let's hope the rest of the staff follows the lead, because he's set a nice tone for the starters. I hope this first turn through the rotation is a decent one. Now Jarrod Washburn needs to show us why the Mariners signed him for that long of a contract.
Goat: Jeremy Reed.
Okay, so he had one of the three Mariners' extra-base hits on the day. He's coming off a sprained wrist and the whole nonbroken wrist thing. In this game, he struck out for the hat trick, and one of those three was with a tie game and the bases loaded and nobody out in the 6th and after having gotten into a favorable 3-1 count (as they usually are). I'll give JC Romero some credit, sure, but I'd just have liked Reed to at least make some contact after he got the count his way, that's all. Who knows what might have happened there if he manages to get the ball in play. Maybe a fielder throws a ball down the line and three runs score. Then again, I can't expect Reed to be all the way back just yet. For goat consideration, I had this scenario to go with, or the one in the top of the 9th, but I chose this one.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 1-0 1.000 -- W1
2005 1-0 1.000 -- W1
2000 0-1 .000 1 L1
2002 0-1 .000 1 L1
2003 0-1 .000 1 L1
2004 0-1 .000 1 L1
2006 0-1 .000 1 L1
I knew the score of this game before I actually watched it since it went on while I was at work and since I had some stuff to do after work. Once I'd seen enough to know what happened and when things happened, I realized what sucked about this game -- this was a very winnable game for the Mariners. Very winnable. Loading the bases with nobody out against Bartolo Colon isn't a small feat. Part of the Mariners' misfortune in that, however, was the fact that the inning started with Adrian Beltre reaching on an error. Thus, it would be a while before the meat of the order was to come around to the plate again. Of course, if you're Mike Scioscia and you have the luxury of putting JC Romero in against your young pups at the bottom of the lineup, then bases loaded with nobody out seems like less of a mountain to scale. Then you just hope Ichiro does nothing with the bases loaded and two out, which in this case he didn't.
As for the ninth, I can't pin it on George Sherrill because Casey Kotchman really scratched and clawed in his at-bat. Sherrill had him ahead 1-2 in that at-bat, but Kotchman fouled off some pitches and got the walk, though the last pitch was close. Molina bunted him over, then JJ Putz came in and brought the napalm. Kinda. The hard part about this is that he had a 1-2 count on Salmon and 0-2 counts on Cabrera, Figgins, and Anderson. He got outs from Salmon and Anderson, but in between were the walk by Figgins and the game-winning single by Cabrera. What's sad is that I know I've had this discussion last year concerning a Mariner pitcher able to get two strikes on somebody but then not being able to put them away, but I honestly forgot who it was. But if he's got the heat, then sick some dead red on these guys. If he's not spotting it well (it's late, so I don't want to go back through the feed again), then there's a problem.
Congratulations to Jose Lopez for his multi-hit game. He was the centerpiece of a top third of the Mariner lineup that went 4-for-13 with an RBI, a walk, and four strikeouts. If Lopez can bring the Mariners something out of the second spot in the lineup, then great. I personally still like the thought of Jeremy Reed taking that spot, but hey, I'm not the manager. I just want Jeremy Reed to see better pitches to hit than if Yuniesky Betancourt is hitting behind him.
I liked what I saw out of Rafael Soriano today. He cut through the 2-3-4 hitters of the Angels' lineup before Juan Rivera was badly jammed and got a single out of it anyway. If I remember right, he was hitting a few 94s on the radar gun shown on the TV. I seem to remember him pre-Tommy John surgery hitting 96, though I have no visual proof, just what my memory is telling me or wants me to believe. If I'm thinking correctly, he's dialed down a bit, not that he still isn't electrifying for me to watch, because he still is. It's just that I see that 94 on the gun all the time and all I can think about is Kazuhiro Sasaki, who I remember would top out with 94 on his fastballs, then throw the Thang.
Well, there goes the undefeated season. Dag nabbit. Just 161 more to go, folks.
Lackey. Piñeiro. Later today.
/ Click for main page
